Shenandoah Physician Assistant Studies Program Students Distinguish Themselves On National Stage
Student PAs recognized as leaders and scholars
Updated at 2:22 p.m. Sept. 15, 2026
Students in Shenandoah University’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program are receiving national accolades.
Two top national nods for one student
Physician Assistant Studies student Shiva Salehian ’27 has been selected for two highly competitive national leadership opportunities. Salehian has been chosen as an American Academy of Physician Associates’ (AAPA) House of Delegates (HOD) student delegate for the 2026–27 term, and as a Physician Assistant Education Association Student Health Policy Fellow for the 2026–27 fellowship cohort.
These prestigious appointments provide exceptional experiential learning opportunities beyond our rigorous PA curriculum and reflect both Shiva’s leadership potential and Shenandoah University’s commitment to preparing future leaders of the profession.”
Shenandoah University Division of Physician Assistant Studies and PA Program Director Erika Francis, DMS, PA-C, DFAAPA.
As an AAPA student delegate, Salehian will study and debate policy resolutions, represent the perspectives of PA students, engage in parliamentary proceedings, and return to share national policy developments with her peers and Shenandoah’s program. She will also attend the AAPA HOD meeting from May 20-23, 2027, in Phoenix.
As a PAEA Student Health Policy Fellow, Salehian is part of a small cohort of PA students in a highly selective program designed to develop the fellows’ advanced leadership, advocacy, and health policy skills. Shenandoah Professor Emeritus Anthony “Tony” Miller, PA-C, founding director of the university’s PA program, will serve as her faculty mentor throughout the fellowship, providing guidance and support during this unique leadership experience.
SU GEL trip paves leadership path
Shreya Patel ’27 has also been selected as an American Academy of Physician Associates’ House of Delegates student delegate. Patel’s interest in professional leadership began during her participation in a Shenandoah PA program Global Experiential Learning (GEL) course in May 2026, where she had the opportunity to observe the AAPA House of Delegates in action. Witnessing the deliberative process firsthand inspired her to pursue a delegate role, making this selection especially meaningful.
“We are incredibly proud of Shreya for earning this opportunity to represent Shenandoah University and the next generation of PAs on a national stage. Her accomplishment reflects not only her own dedication but also the value of providing students with immersive experiences that foster leadership and professional engagement,” Dr. Francis said.
Orthopedics interest attracts attention
Alexandra (“Alex”) Toben ’26 is one of only four recipients of the prestigious Physician Assistants in Orthopaedic Surgery (PAOS) Susan Lindahl Memorial Scholarship. The PAOS Board of Directors noted that this year’s submissions for the national scholarship were among the strongest they had ever reviewed, according to Francis. Toben has been invited to attend the PAOS Continuing Medical Education Conference in San Diego, where she will be formally recognized as a recipient of the $5,000 award and have the opportunity to network with leaders in the profession.
“This national recognition is a testament to Alex’s dedication, scholarly achievement, and bright future as a physician assistant. We are incredibly proud to see one of our students recognized at the national level and congratulate Alex on this well-deserved honor,” Francis said.
Toben is also one of the founders of an orthopedic interest group within Shenandoah’s PA program. Three students in the group –– Ella Mannix ’27, David Dworaczyk ’27, and Adam Louie ’27 –– were recently invited by the PAOS president to be interviewed for the PAOS podcast (https://paos.org/page/podcast).
“The orthopedic interest group at Shenandoah allows PA students to delve in deeper to orthopedic topics outside of their traditional classroom education to explore an area of medicine they are passionate about,” said its adviser, Associate Professor of Physician Assistant Studies Richard Gilbert Jr. DMS, PA-C, ATC, DFAAPA.
